[ExI] Thousands of Britons dating chatbots amid surge in loneliness

[BillK]

Thousands of Britons dating chatbots amid surge in loneliness.
Think tank warns over psychological risks as nearly 1m turn to digital
companions.
Matthew Field Senior Technology Reporter       07 February 2025

<https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/02/07/thousands-of-britons-dating-chatbots-amid-surge-loneliness/>
Quotes:
Thousands of Britons are dating artificial intelligence (AI)
girlfriends amid a surge in loneliness, with nearly 1m people relying
on so-called digital companions.

A report from the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) claimed
that “society is already being changed by AI”, estimating that as many
as 930,000 Brits had used the Character.AI digital chatbot app alone.

Many more had turned to other apps, such as Replika, which touts its
chatbots as offering “a friend, a partner, a mentor”.

It comes amid a loneliness epidemic in Britain, with surveys
suggesting the public has grown more isolated since the pandemic.
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The article doesn't mention that chatbots are designed to be
friendlier and 'nicer' than most humans can manage. Never condemning,
always trying to be helpful, etc.
All this while the chatbots are rapidly improving and becoming more addictive.

BillK.